The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-03-26
THE Story OF A oARrEr.

A lady gives the following account of
her experience with a negro man whom
she had engaged to take up and clean n
carpet and put 1t down again:
He had told me that he would be on
hand bright an airlv," and even hint
ed at the possibility of his coming by
daylight
III you are here by half-past seven. It
will dc" said.
..Ha'-pas' seben. ladyi Dat am mon
s'tous lsle TO man TO begin a days
wuk. Use mo- likely TO be roun' by
ha'-pas' six. lady"
Half-past seven came and went the
next day. and no Jerry. Eight o'clock.
and no Jerry. At half-past eight he
came leisurely sauntering into the yard.
How is this. JerryP" l asked. You
said you would surely be here by half
past seven,"
so did. lady. so l did; an how
happened to ober-sleep myself dis
mawnin' Is de mos 'mazin' circum-
stances. Mos gin'rally Use up TO dav.
But I'll hab dat kyarpet up an outn
de back ya'd less'n no time"
Its so late. you'll have to hurry II
you get il all done to-day"
''Sho, ladyl Hits jess play fo' me to
tshhc iiht uut. Ciedu nlt
an put hit down in free hours"
A little after nine / went into the
room. Jerry had the tacks out on three
sides of the carpet. and was lying Hat
on his back staring up at the ceiling.
'Hcla, lady" he said. ''dat's de put
tiest wuk on dat ceilin' | eber sawi"
Use tryin' an iryin' TO make out II hit
am reely painted on dar. or IL hit am
only papered on"
You'd better let the ceiling alone
and get this carpet out on the line right
away" said sharply.
Don yo' min bout dis kyarpet.
lady. Hit'll be out o hyar in free
shakes OBJ dead Sleeps tail. he said.
At ten o'clock | again went into the
room, Jerry had folded the carpet up
/ in the middle of the room and was sit
ting on it.
''Takin' up kyarpets is kind o. waxin'
wuk." he said ii mos allus has some
one to help me-"
You don't need any help in clean
ing small carpet like this, said
La. no. ladyi could clean dis
\ kyarpet wild one hand tied behind me -
| Ii was eleven o'clock when Jerry got
/ the carpet on the line Ten minute
later he had disappeared. Nv little
/ boy found him two blocks away. in a
| perfect ecstasy over hand-organ and a
monkey.
Il 'clar. a'am. dat am de smartest
monkey! Hit do beat ALL Wunner if
hit makes much money!" he said, when
/ he came back.
He gave the carpet few listless
/ strokes with an old broom-handle and
then laid himself down on the grass
''clean tired out"
Ten minutes later found him initial
ing my little boy into the mysteries of
"Mumble-the-peg."
Jerry" | said. pointing majesticaliy
\ to the carpet.
YES. lady, hits all cleaned. I'll
put hit down in ten minutes.
lit is not half cleaned" said You
have not beaten one-tenth of the dust
out of it."
"All right, lady, all right" he said
I ominously. Hits yo' kyarpet an 1
reckon yo' can stan de loss if beats
hit to rags. Use pounded dat kyarpet
I all hit'u stan lady. but hits yo' kyar-
pet"
But why write more? At five o'clock
that carpet was still on the line and
Jerry was leaning over the back fence
watching two boys playing at marbles
in the alley. At six o'clock he dragged
the carpet into the house aud wanted
his pay for that day. saving that he
would get man TO help him and ''git
dat kyarpet down quicker'n wink the
next dav.
/ paid him for half days work. bade
him gOud-by forever and put the carpet
down myself the next day.-Ihe iouLh's 8
/ C0flDdatOH.